Doom-Bringer
by SphericalRainbow
Summary: "It appears when it senses an impending natural disaster. As a result, it was mistaken as a doom-bringer." Lily, a twelve-year-old girl who just moved to Fortree City, befriends a new Pokemon she hadn't yet seen, only for it not to be everything she had heard.


As nightfall crept, thunderstorms lurked over the treetops of Fortree City, where my mother, kid brother, and I resided. At the time, I was only twelve years old, and still learning my way around our newly-called home. We had moved all the way from Johto, and I wasn't so sure that I liked the distance we made from my childhood. I was old enough to have Pokemon, yes, and I was capable of making more friends, also yes, but I had no will. I wanted to be back where everyone else was, back where my childhood was, but since everything seemed dull in Johto, my mother wanted to move. It was a lonely venture, yes, but she always said to "make the best of it", try as I might.

I hid in my hut, looking outside to the flashes of lightening that streaked dangerously close to my living space. I whimpered softly, looking behind me. Mother was nowhere to be seen—probably off with the professor again—and Myles was fast asleep only feet away from me. I yawned, the rain starting to lull me to sleep, and I finally caved and curled up next to my brother, eventually falling asleep with the aid of his heat.

The next morning was gloomy, and people were bustling about as usual. Mother was home now and fast asleep in the corner. I slipped out, leaving my brother alone with my mother, and scaled down the ladders and safely onto the muddy ground. I padded around, eyes scanning the area around me. Fortree City was basically treehouse paradise, and that's all anyone lived in: treehouses. It was really amusing at first, but after a while, climbing up and down ladders became a chore, and only having one room in the whole living space was a pain.

Every morning, I liked to walk around the village. The same few people would stop me and ask me how I slept. This happened again today.

"Sleep alright with the storm last night?" asked Old Man Benji, and I gave him a stiff nod.

"As well as I could. Myles slept pretty well." I would flash him a smile before continuing my pace.

"Did the lightening keep you up?" went Ms. Puckett, and I gave her an equally-stiff shake of the head.

"Not as much as it usually does."

It rained pretty often, and most townsmen blamed it on a monster named Absol. Absol supposedly lived in the mountains and would curse us with storms and doom. Everyone sort of feared Absol, and I had this image of him in my head. He definitely had to be this large, towering Pokemon, with sharp teeth and drool guzzling from his lip. Large, beady eyes that drilled into your soul as he laughed as everyone cried and fled with terror. There was no other way to look if everyone feared you, right?

"Did you see the Absol last night?"

"I have not. I figured he would have shown up, though."

People were whispering about him now.

"He looked me dead in the eye. Am I cursed now?"

"Let's hope not. This city can't take much more stormy weather."

I felt a shiver go up my spine, as if I was being watched. Curious, though afraid, I wandered away from the trees and towards the base of the mountains. There was rustling in a bush, and I went to cautiously peek through the leaves. There, a creature waited. It was larger than me, though crouched down, and had thick, white fur. It watched me with red eyes, the only part of its body poking from the leaves was a single, navy horn. I reached out to pet it, but it bared its teeth and snarled. I whimpered, retracting my hand and stepping back.

_Should I get the townsmen?_ I thought, but decided it wasn't a good idea. What if the monster Absol came after it? Surely, it was just hurt. It didn't need to be hunted. I retreated back to my treehouse, and climbed up to the opening shrouded in leaves. I pushed them aside and snuck inside the hut, waiting for the day to pass again.

The only thing on my mind for the rest of the day and into the night was the white Pokemon I saw outside that morning. I wanted to go back. Was it hungry? Injured? Tired? Scared? Maybe the thunderstorm scared it last night. As the day came to a close, I began to fall asleep, mother nowhere in sight once again.

* * *

No storm that night. The morning was as quiet as ever, as well. I once again slipped outside and began my walk.

"Did you sleep well last night?" asked Old Man Benji. I gave him my usual nod.

"Do you and your mother need some milk? The moo-moo milk lady is here again today," Ms. Puckett asked. Mother always liked for me to bring her some milk home when the moo-moo milk lady was here. I followed her to the entrance of the city, where the young girl waited. I gave her my coins, and went to take the glass bottles back up to my hut. Ms. Puckett helped me bring them inside, and she sat with me for a moment.

"Lily, have you heard of Absol?"

I looked up to her and shook my head. I had actually heard of him—it was hard not to—but I knew nothing of him. "I hear his name," I said softly, "but I've never seen him. What's he like?"

"He's a monster," she reported in a hushed whisper, as if she didn't want my mom or the other villagers knowing what we were talking about. "Absol lives in the mountains, and only comes when danger is near. He is the bringer of such disaster, and we believe he was the cause of the storm the other night."

"How can a monster do that?" I asked curiously.

"Pokemon can do many things," she responded, holding me close. "I'll keep you safe from Absol, don't you worry." Her statement made me worry more, but I cuddled up next to her.

At that moment, a crash came from outside and caused me to jump. Immediately curious, I stuck my head outside.

"Out with you! Monster!" cried Old Man Benji, and his Linoone—Lenny—growled furiously, his hair on end. Ms. Puckett snuck outside, and I stayed at her heels, hands clutched on the back of her shirt. "Absol was just in the village again!" he yelled, fury in his eyes. "Next time it comes, we kill it!"

* * *

Sure enough, that night, there was another thunderstorm. Lightening flickered and thunder boomed as the stars cried in agony. I was growing restless, wondering if Absol was actually the source of the storms. If Absol was just an ordinary monster, there would be no more to question, but only legendary Pokemon could summon storms like these, right? And what about the white Pokemon? Was he cold? Scared? Unable to contain the worry anymore, I grabbed some bread and left, a dish with milk in my other hand as I carefully scaled down the ladders and hurried to the base of the mountain.

Sure enough, the white Pokemon waited at the base of the mountain. His eyes looked sad through the raindrops, and he watched me tensely. As I drew closer, it began to growl again, and I took a step back. Was I crossing his territory?

"Are you cold?" I asked, holding out the bread. "Are you hungry?"

The Pokemon watched me with ever-careful eyes, and it finally began to draw closer. I gave him my bread and placed the dish on the ground. He kept his eyes on me as he began to lap up the milk, then began to step closer. I carefully reached out my hand…

Then there was another crash.

"Lily! Get away!"

Startled, I fell on my behind. I looked up, and through the rain, I saw my mother. She wasn't angry, but definitely terrified. "What are you _doing_?!" She hissed, gesturing to the creature behind me. "Don't you know what Absol is capable of?!" I looked to the Pokemon behind me, who had now come to my front and stood in a defensive stance. My mother's Pokemon partner, Feraligatr, towered over me, fangs bared and snarls coming from his nostrils. Before I could take in what was happening, I was pulled by my arm, away from the Pokemon. Lenny was tugging me away by my shirt's sleeve.

"Mommy! Don't hurt him!" I cried, shivering from the cold and fear of my new—and only—friend being endangered. "Mommy, please!" I struggled out of Lenny's grip, but to no avail. "Mommy!"

"Feraligatr! Ice Fang!" Feraligatr's teeth became shrouded in ice, and he snapped at Absol's horn, gripping him and holding him in place. Pain flashed across his angelically white face of fur, but his front paw became clouded in a dark mist, and he swiped, hitting Feraligatr along the chest and releasing himself. He jumped back and snarled, keeping his eyes on me.

Even though we had known each other for so little of time, I felt like I understood. He was lonely. He wanted a friend, a partner, someone who understood.

Absol couldn't have been the cause of the storms. He was _warning_ us that they were coming.

"Aqua Jet!"

Feraligatr lunged for Absol, covered in water and moving faster than the naked eye could see. I only saw Absol rebound, hit and wounded. He was knocked to the ground, a scared, hurt cry reverberating from his throat. I needed to get to him, to help him, but Lenny held me firmly to my spot.

"Lenny, take her in. A child shouldn't be out here in the cold like this." The voice behind me could only belong to an elder, his gravelly voice barely peeking from the thunder. Lenny then dragged me on the ground towards the trees.

"Mommy, _please_!" I cried one more time, then finally shook free. Lenny was fast, but he wasn't faster than me. I ran as fast as my feet would carry me, and right to the fighting Pokemon. "Mommy! He's helping us, don't hurt him!" I was only feet away.

"Hyper Beam! Finish that beast!"

"No!"

For a moment, all I could see was white. Everything was silent for a long moment. Everything was numb for a longer moment of time. I eventually heard my mother screaming my name, and a furry head nuzzling my cheek in an attempt to wake me.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

Days passed, and I was being cared for in the city's Pokemon Center. I had been struck by Feraligatr's Hyper Beam, and it had wiped me unconscious with miraculously no permanent injuries. My mother never left my side, and it was the longest I had ever seen her. She was quiet, not saying a word. According to her and the nurse, I had been there for almost a week.

The entire time I was awake, I wondered how Absol was doing. Did he get away? Was that him nuzzling against me as I blacked out? The questions itched at my chest, but I didn't dare ask. I would just look for him next nightfall. After a few hours from when I woke up, I was released and ready to go home again.

As we approached the hut, a sickening feeling hit me. I suddenly didn't want to go inside anymore, afraid of what I'd see. I walked close to my mother, and hesitated at the opening once she went in. I finally drew a deep breath and stepped inside.

Only to be greeted by the same, navy horn on the wall, a message scrawled on paper nailed next to it.

"Never hurt the children, Doom-Bringer."


End file.
